Baseball's Last Week: A Few Thoughts
* Has there ever been a team that's lead their division wire-to-wire that was more of a mortal lock to get swept out of the first round of the playoffs than this year's Chicago White Sox?
* From the founding of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998 to 2003, the AL East finished in the same order every year - Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa. Last year, this proud tradition was up-ended mildly when Toronto fell into last place, trailing Tampa by three games. This year at the half, it looked like the old tradition was going to be smashed beyond recognition: Baltimore was in first; the Yankees looking at a third or fourth place finish. And yet, here we are at the end of the season, with the very real possibility that the division will finish Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa. The more things change, I suppose.
* Say what you will about the Yankees' disappointing season (and it has been a disappointment, in a lot of ways, though the team's done an amazing job filling the gaps in their aging lineup and rotation with guys like Cano, Wang, Chacon and our hero Aaron Small). The fact remains: going into the final week of the season, the Yankees are tied for the fourth best record in baseball. There's only one National League team with a better record. Of the AL teams with better records, one is indisputably a worse team than the Yankees (the Chicago White Sox). The Yankees have the best home record in baseball. They're one of the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch, winning 8 of their last 10 and 12 of their last 14. They still may not make the playoffs (7 road games in 7 days to end the season...yeesh!) but if they do they're still one of the league's most dangerous teams.
* From the founding of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998 to 2003, the AL East finished in the same order every year - Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa. Last year, this proud tradition was up-ended mildly when Toronto fell into last place, trailing Tampa by three games. This year at the half, it looked like the old tradition was going to be smashed beyond recognition: Baltimore was in first; the Yankees looking at a third or fourth place finish. And yet, here we are at the end of the season, with the very real possibility that the division will finish Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa. The more things change, I suppose.
* Say what you will about the Yankees' disappointing season (and it has been a disappointment, in a lot of ways, though the team's done an amazing job filling the gaps in their aging lineup and rotation with guys like Cano, Wang, Chacon and our hero Aaron Small). The fact remains: going into the final week of the season, the Yankees are tied for the fourth best record in baseball. There's only one National League team with a better record. Of the AL teams with better records, one is indisputably a worse team than the Yankees (the Chicago White Sox). The Yankees have the best home record in baseball. They're one of the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch, winning 8 of their last 10 and 12 of their last 14. They still may not make the playoffs (7 road games in 7 days to end the season...yeesh!) but if they do they're still one of the league's most dangerous teams.
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